Haunted Attraction Network

Two threads land on themes we keep circling back to: who you're selling to and what you're selling is changing.
Families are one of the three groups still spending on attractions, and the new Universal Kids Resort is a direct play for that demographic. But, it seems to suffer from the same issue as Universal Horror Unleashed: Universal positioned the product as premium, betting that the IP and brand would justify the price, and early reviews show it struggling to meet guest expectations.
The operators who get premium right don't lean solely on IP to do the work. They build a strong core product, evoke emotion, and let everything else extend it.
Ultimately, we all sell memories made of emotion, and increasingly, guests want to buy items that extend them. During IAAPA Expo Asia, Hong Kong Disneyland and Ocean Park explained how merchandise fits into that cycle.
For haunts, it comes down to one question: what's the moment in your attraction that guests already talk about, photograph, and remember? You're not just selling the scare. You're selling the moment they'll remember, and everything else extends it.
In this issue:
-Universal Kids Resort Opens For Previews
-Stranger Things Returns to Halloween Horror Nights
-H.R. Bloodengutz Returns to HHN Orlando with New Original House
-Dollywood Hosts Its First Separately-Ticketed After-Hours Halloween Event
-The Rocky Horror Picture Show Planned for Sphere in 2027
https://mailchi.mp/hauntedattractionnetwork.com/a-haunt-sells-memories-not-scares

Spirit Halloween announced it will hire over 52,000 seasonal associates, the largest hiring event in the company's history. Most Americans don't go to a haunted house, but nearly all of them first encounter Halloween through retail. Retail is the first wave of the season, and it primes guests for everything that comes after, including your attraction.
In this issue:
-Spirit Halloween to Hire 52,000 Seasonal Associates
-2026 Halloween & Costume Association Awards Open for Submissions
-Legoland Florida Expands Brick-or-Treat to 18 Days
-Knott's Scary Farm: Nightmares Revealed Returns August 18th
-Green Tagged's News Catch-Up
https://mailchi.mp/hauntedattractionnetwork.com/what-52000-halloween-hires-mean-for-your-haunt

Our job is to entertain people. How they want to be entertained, though, might be changing. New data from PGAV and Integrated Insight show that the audience for paid attractions is shifting, with visits down about 11% year over year, with the steepest declines among lower-income households, women, and families without kids.
This week, we break down who's still spending, what they want, and why Disney's new Oogie Boogie Bash street party might point to where entertainment is heading.
In this issue:
-Madame Leota's Swinging Wake Comes to Oogie Boogie Bash
-Monstropolis Celebrates H.U.M.A.N. Day at Disney's Hollywood Studios
-Six Flags Fiesta Texas Announces Werewolf Gorge Launch Coaster
-Nightmare Wharf Reveals Attraction Themes
-Midsummer Scream Announces Main Stage Theme Park Panels
-C.H.A.O.S. Training to Be Held on June 27th
- Midwest Haunters Convention Returns June 10th-13th, 2027
https://mailchi.mp/hauntedattractionnetwork.com/whos-still-spending-on-attractions 

Haunts and theme parks are facing similar challenges in entertaining guests: the connective tissue between the big moments is what makes the day (or night) work.
In this issue:
- Sinners Announced for Halloween Horror Nights Orlando and Hollywood
- Hersheypark Dark Nights Sets June Audition Dates
- Epic Universe Turns One: Takeaways
- Disney Faces Class Action Over Disneyland Facial Recognition
- Field of Screams Nixa Expands to Branson With New Indoor Haunt
- Hotel of Terror Reaches Purchase Agreement with City of Springfield
- Monsterpalooza Comes to Pasadena, CA This Weekend
- Get Ready for Midwest Haunters Convention, June 6th - 7th

Read more:
https://mailchi.mp/hauntedattractionnetwork.com/why-haunts-are-becoming-scream-parks 

Last week I attended IAAPA Honors, and my biggest takeaway was something I saw last year: F&B as narrative. From LA Haunted Hayride's Cider Mill to Scarehouse Windsor's dinner experiences, the expansion of food carts at HHN, and all the haunts with hidden bars, we're seeing more haunts weaving food into the story. Guests are buying experiences from us, and food has to be part of that, not separate from it. Also this week: United Parks posted a rough Q1 while peer parks grew, and the next Sphere is heading to Yas Island.In this issue:

1. F&B as Narrative: What I Saw at IAAPA Honors
2. United Parks' Dismal Q1
3. The Next Sphere Is Going to Yas Island
4. Derry Halloween to Adopt New Partner-Led Approach
5. First Look at Midwest Haunters Convention Exhibitor List
6. Haunters Toolbox: Inhuman Resources Hiring Session

https://mailchi.mp/hauntedattractionnetwork.com/why-haunts-are-weaving-food-into-the-story

Both Disney and Six Flags posted strong earnings this week, and while haunts are a few steps removed from the major theme park operators, it tells us something useful: guests are still booking, still spending, and still showing up. The two chains are taking different approaches to the same moment, with Six Flags leaning into value and regional passes while Disney leans into premium. For haunted attractions, the takeaways are the same ones we've been tracking since TransWorld. In this issue:

• Disney Q2 Revenue Up 7% as D'Amaro Pitches Disney+ as Everything App
• Six Flags Q1 Revenue Up 12% as Reilly Doubles Down on Pass Strategy
• Oogie Boogie Bash Returns for 33 Select Nights
• AEOStudios to Close in June After 30 Years
• ScareCON 26 Takes Place May 18-20
• Mars Unveils New Seasonal Treats for Halfway to Halloween

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It was a slow news week after the rush of Halfway to Halloween, but a few major trends are emerging that could shape this Halloween season.
In this issue:
-Dead Man's Party Returns to Six Flags Great Adventure
-Six Flags St. Louis Enacts Strict Chaperone Policy
-Universal Horror Unleashed Teases New Dinner Series
-Nocturne Theatre Debuts The Eaves
-Ohio Haunters Convention Takes Place This Weekend
-Midwest Haunters Convention Announces Pre-Show Tours
-Spooky Swap Meet Announces 2027 Dates

Read more here. 

Halloween creep is officially here. Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party returns to the Magic Kingdom on August 7th, the earliest start date in the event's history. But Disney is moving up the calendar without really reinvesting in the event itself. Combined with Universal bringing back HHN icons and recent earnings flagging softer summer demand, the question is whether the major operators are quietly bracing for a slower fall.

In this issue:

1. Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Returns August 7th
2. Universal Parks Revenue Surges 24%, But There's a Catch
3. Dark Nights at Hersheypark Returns September 12th
4. SCAR Awards 2026 Nominees Announced Ahead of ScareCON
5. Winchester Mystery House Halfway to Halloween Events
6. Dark Hour Hosts Halfway to Halloween Spring Market
7. Spirit Halloween Reveals 2026 Store Theme
8. Lowe's Halloween Early Access for Rewards Members
9. HAA Silent Online Auction Live Until May 31st

Read more here.

It's Halfway to Halloween week, and haunters nationwide are celebrating. The Spooky Swap Meet is taking over Heritage Square Museum in LA, the East Coast Haunters Convention kicks off this week in Oaks, Pennsylvania, and it's also the opening weekend of Universal Fan Fest Nights, where Universal Monsters are headlining.
In this issue:
-East Coast Haunters Convention Guide
-Spooky Swap Meet This Weekend
-Fan Fest Nights Food and Merchandise Lineup
-Six Flags Reinstates Park Presidents at 10 Parks
-Field of Screams Halfway to Halloween Music Fest
-Creep It Real OC Announces September Return
-Universal Horror Unleashed Panel at Monsterpalooza

Read more here

The East Coast Haunters Convention is less than two weeks out, and this week's HAN newsletter has your full guide to haunt tours, the show floor, seminars, and the Saturday night party at Shocktoberfest. Build season is picking up, and we're booking Vendor Spotlight Videos on the ECHC floor.
Also this week: Disney cut 1,000 jobs across marketing and publicity while parks and live entertainment went untouched, Home Depot dropped its 2026 Halloween lineup in April, and Dorney Park faces a negligent hiring lawsuit tied to a Halloween Haunt employee.In this issue:

1. Your Guide to the East Coast Haunters Convention
2. Disney Lays Off 1,000, Theme Parks Untouched
3. Dorney Park Sued for Negligent Hiring
4. Disney Patents a Heat Exposure Prediction System
5. Home Depot Releases New 2026 Props
6. Thirteenth Floor Hiring for CA Scenic Shop
7. Haunters Toolbox Live Session with Spooky World
8. Creep I.E. Aftermath Tickets on Sale

https://mailchi.mp/hauntedattractionnetwork.com/echc-retail-creep-and-1000-disney-layoffs